How to Make Dark Chocolate

Making dark chocolate at home may not save you any money, but the experience can be a treat in itself. The process is surprisingly simple, but you'll need to be precise and attentive if you want to be successful in your chocolate-making endeavors.

Ingredients

Makes roughly 8 oz (225 g) chocolate

8 Tbsp (125 ml) cocoa powder
6 Tbsp (95 ml) cocoa butter OR 4 Tbsp (60 ml) coconut oil
1 to 2 Tbsp (15 to 30 ml) powdered sugar OR honey OR maple syrup
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped nuts OR dried fruit (optional)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chia seeds (optional)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Combining the Ingredients

1
Prepare a small mold or tin. Use a 6-inch by 6-inch (15-cm by 15-cm) tin and line it with wax paper or parchment paper.^{[1]
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- You could use candy molds instead of a tin. Most molds do not need to be prepared in any special manner. Just make sure that the molds are clean and dry before use.
2
Heat water in a double boiler. Fill the bottom portion of a double boiler with roughly 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Place the double boiler on the stove and heat on medium until the water starts simmering.
- If you do not have an actual double boiler, place a heat-resistant bowl or pan over a saucepan. The lip of the bowl should be able to rest on the lip of the saucepan, and the bottom of the bowl should not extend low enough to touch the surface of the water in the saucepan.
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3
Melt the cocoa butter. Place the cocoa butter in the top part of your double boiler and heat it gently, stirring occasionally, until the block of butter completely melts.
- The cocoa butter should reach a temperature of 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius). Monitor the temperature using a candy thermometer.
- Consider breaking or cutting the cocoa butter into similarly sized pieces before adding it to the double boiler. Doing so ensures that the butter will melt quicker and at an even pace.
- Note that cocoa butter melts quickly and you should not allow it to overheat. In fact, you may want to turn the heat setting down from medium to low or medium-low. Chocolate that becomes too hot will develop a pale white coating known as "bloom."
- True dark chocolate uses cocoa butter. If you are searching for a slightly healthier alternative, however, you can swap out the cocoa butter for coconut oil. The coconut oil should be melted and treated in the same way throughout the recipe.
4
Combine the cocoa powder, sweetener, and vanilla separately. Stir the three ingredients together in a medium bowl until evenly mixed.
- You can use any cocoa powder for this recipe. Refined cocoa powders have a great taste, are easier to find, and less expensive, but the refining process removes some of the antioxidants of the cocoa. Natural or unprocessed cocoa powder is packed with more antioxidants and is the healthiest option.
- Use sugar, honey, or maple syrup for your sweetener. Note that dark chocolate prepared with sugar can be stored at room temperature but chocolate prepared with honey or maple syrup will need to be refrigerated.
- The amount of sweetener you use will change the cacao percentage of the dark chocolate.^{[2]
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  - Using 1 Tbsp (15 ml) produces 85% dark chocolate.
  - Using 1-1/2 Tbsp (22.5 ml) produces 73% dark chocolate.
  - Using 2 Tbsp (30 ml) produces 60% dark chocolate.
5
Combine the two mixtures. Gradually pour the cocoa powder mixture into the saucepan of cocoa butter, mixing thoroughly until the new product is smooth. Remove the mixture from the heat when ready.
- Allow the entire mixture to return to a temperature of 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) before removing it from the heat.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Tempering the Chocolate

1
Pour a portion of the chocolate onto a marble slab. Carefully pour roughly three-fourths of the chocolate mixture onto a glass cutting board or marble slab with a low rim around the edges. Set aside the remaining mixture.
- This tempering process may seem like a lot of extra work, but it is strongly recommended that you follow through with it nonetheless. Tempering chocolate causes the cocoa butter to harden in a specific crystalline pattern, and as a result, the dark chocolate will have a more appealing sheen and texture.^{[3]
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- Note that untempered dark chocolate may have trouble setting, look blotchy, have a distorted inner texture, or be prone to developing white fat bloom on the surface.
2
Spread the chocolate. Use a flexible plastic scraper or palette knife to spread the chocolate out into as thin and even a layer as possible.
3
Scoop up the chocolate. Use the knife to scoop the edges of the chocolate into its center, working as quickly as possible.
4
Repeat for 10 minutes. Quickly spread the chocolate out into a thin layer, then immediately scoop it back into its center. Repeat this process for the full amount of time, keeping the chocolate moving throughout the duration of that time limit.
- Allow this first portion of tempered chocolate to reach a temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) before moving onto the next step.
5
Stir in the remaining chocolate. Add the chocolate still in the saucepan to the chocolate on the slab. Quickly mix it the two together with a single round of spreading and scooping.
- After adding the hot chocolate mixture to the tempered chocolate, the temperature should be about 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius).
6
Test the consistency. To verify that the chocolate has been appropriately tempered, drop a small dab of the chocolate onto an empty space of the marble or glass. It should set very quickly.
- If the chocolate mixture does not set when tested, continue tempering it for another few minutes before trying again.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Setting and Serving the Finished Product

1
Mix in your optional ingredients. If you are using nuts, dried fruit, or chia seeds, sprinkle them over the surface of the chocolate during this step and quickly fold or mix them in.
2
Pour the chocolate into the prepared pan. Scoop the chocolate mixture up using a large serving spoon and transfer it into your lined pan. Once all the chocolate is in the pan, quickly smooth out the top using your scraper or palette knife.
- If you use molds instead of a square tin, spoon the chocolate mixture into a bottle or disposable decorating bag and squeeze it into the molds one by one. Once all the molds are filled, lightly tap the molds on your counter to pop any air bubbles that may have formed.^{[4]
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- If you want to make chocolate chips, spoon the chocolate mixture into a pastry bag with a narrow tip and pipe the chocolate chips out onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper.
3
Set until hardened. Allow the chocolate to harden on its own. You can leave it out at room temperature as it sets, place it in the refrigerator, or place it in the freezer.
- If you cool the chocolate in the freezer, it should be ready within 30 minutes or so. In the refrigerator, the mixture may take a little over 1 hour. At room temperature, the mixture might take several hours to set.
- Note that dark chocolate made with honey or maple syrup may not set sufficiently at room temperature. Cool the candy in the refrigerator or freezer, instead.
4
Remove the finished chocolate from the pan. Once the chocolate has completely hardened, remove it from the pan and peel away the wax or parchment paper.
- To remove dark chocolate from molds, turn the the mold upside-down over a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper. Tap on the bottom of the molds with your fingers or a butter knife, or carefully flex the mold to loosen the candies. The chocolate should fall out of the molds as you do this.
5
Eat now or save it for later. Your dark chocolate bar is ready to enjoy at this point; eat it as a whole bar or snap it into smaller chunks. If you aren't quite ready to eat it yet, though, wrap the dark chocolate in a clean sheet of wax paper or place it in a resealable plastic bag to save it for another time.
- Dark chocolate made with sugar can be stored at room temperature. If you make it with honey or maple syrup, however, the chocolate should be stored in the refrigerator.

Community Q&A

Question

I don't have coconut oil or cocoa butter. What can I use as a substitute?

Community Answer

Go to the store and buy some. You can't really make this recipe without one of these essential ingredients. Other oils don't harden well so they can't really be used as a substitute.
Question

Can artificial sweetener such as Stevia be used to make dark chocolate candy?

Community Answer

Stevia can be used, but make sure not to use too much because Stevia is 100 to 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Question

Do I have to use cocoa butter?

Community Answer

No, but you can use cocoa butter as an lotion. Also you can consume it or use it in your hair, which will cause it to become softer and more healthy.